MIDDLE KINGDOM
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCES AND RETURNS

JULY 2001

This is the Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon's May 2001
letter.
Comments in braces {} were removed from the Letter of Intent sent to Laurel and the College of
Arms.
Names, devices, or badges in braces have been returned or pended; general comments or replies
to
commentary are also placed in braces.

I had a number of questions on issues from lots of commenters this month, which I've tried
my best
to answer as they came up. I've also interspersed a lot of just general "counting CD and how to
give good
commentary" type comments, so please read, and if you have any further questions about
anything, please
write me directly.

<Eychener> is dated to 1363 in Brechenmacher s.n. Eichner. The client cares most
about language/culture.

{The device conflicts with Jeremy of the Middle (reg 6/96), "Argent, a chevron sable between
three
gouttes de sang," with only one CD for changing the type of secondaries. It does not conflict
with Vasilisa
Myshkina, "Argent, a chevron between three holly leaves vert," with one CD for the tincture of
the chevron,
and one for the tincture of the secondaries.

To Kevin & crew: note that the documentation was not "Talan sez so" but "these names
are found
under these dates in these sources." This is perfectly acceptable documentation, and the fact that
it simply
originated with the good Baron should be no reason to discredit it.}

2) Beate Wittmaier - Device resubmission

Per bend gules and Or, in bend sinister a cat sejant Or and a cat sejant
sable.

Name reg'd 12/00

The client's previous submission (Per bend gules and Or, a feline sejant sable) was returned by
Rouge
Scarpe on 8/00 for conflict with Giles of Lennox (Or, a domestic cat sejant, paw extended sable).
{This does
not conflict with Reil Mac an Bhreitheamhnaigh (reg 5/93), "Per bend sinister sable and argent,
two cats
statant counterchanged Or and sable." There is one CD for the field, and one for sejant vs.
statant.}

3) Cainder ingen hui Chatharnaig - Device resubmission

Per chevron enhanced argent and sable, two hazel sprigs sable and a snowy owl
counterchanged.

Name reg'd 9/00

The client's identical previous submission was returned by Laurel on 9/00 for redrawing. The
client
has enclosed undated pictures of hazel sprigs as documentation.

{*) Christian de Xavier - New device.

Per pale azure and gules, a fleur-de-lys argent

This conflicts with the badge of Catelin the Patient (reg 9/97 via Æthelmearc),
"[Fieldless] A fleur-de-lys argent." There is one CD for the field. It also conflicts with Michal
Almond de Champagne (reg 8/99),
"Per chevron lozengy argent and sable and purpure, in base a fleur-de-lys argent," with one CD
for the field.
Moving the fleur-de-lys to base is a forced move, and so cannot be a CD. "Per pale azure and
gules, three
fleurs-de-lys argent" appears to be free of conflict, if the submitter is interested.

To Polaris & crew: Regarding Catelin's badge verses Camilla's device, according to
RfS X.4.b
"adding or removing a group of charges placed directly on the field, including strewn charges, is
one clear
difference." There is one CD for the field, and one for the strewn charges.}

4) Elisabeth Fairchild - New name {and device.

Purpure, a sheep salient, on a chief embattled argent three ermine spots
sable}

<Elisabeth> is dated to 1483 in Withycombe s.n. Elizabeth.

<Fairchild> is dated in this spelling to 1250 in Reaney & Wilson, s.n.
Fairchild.

The client cares most about sound and wishes to have an authentic 16th century English name
but
will NOT allow MAJOR changes.

{The device is being returned for redrawing. The chief and the sheep both need to be larger;
the
chief should come about 1/4 of the way down the shield, and the sheep should fill all the
remaining space.
Additionally, the embattlements should be fewer and smaller.

The device does not conflict with Gillian Marie Hayden (reg 7/95), "Purpure, a goat salient
and a
bordure argent." There is one CD for the addition of the ermine spots, one for the embattlements,
and one
for changing the peripheral ordinary from a bordure to a chief.

To Polaris and crew: Peripheral ordinaries are counted for CDs the same way that regular
charges
are.

To Kevin and crew (actually, everyone): Citing a source and a page number is not sufficient
for either
documentation or commentary. We need dates as well. }

5) Frederich Holstein der Tollhase - Device resubmission

Per chevron rayonny Or and gules, two Jerusalem crosses gules and a cow rampant
ermine

Name reg'd 11/98

The client's most recent resubmission (Per chevron rayonny Or and sable, two Jerusalem
crosses
sable and a cow rampant ermine) was returned by Laurel on 11/00 for redrawing (the rayonny and
the ermine
spots were not viewable). The client has also changed the tinctures. Before this, another
resubmission by this
client (Per bend sinister purpure and vert, a cow rampant ermine rising from flames proper) was
returned by
Laurel on 9/99 for redrawing and design problems.

{*) Greyhope, Shire of - Device change

Azure, a winged natural seahorse Or maintaining an anchor within a laurel wreath
argent

As drawn, this is two laurel sprigs crossed in base in saltire. A laurel wreath should be drawn
nearly
circular. In addition, the anchor should be drawn larger and more recognizably.

This doesn't conflict with the Barony of Draconia (4/73) "Azure, within a laurel wreath argent
a dragon
volant Or." There is one CD for the change in type of monster, as Greyhope's is more of a
winged natural
seahorse than a seadragon, and also one for posture. A petition of support was enclosed, so this
is not a reason
for return.}

{* Gudrun of the hills - New device.

Argent, a mountain erased and in sinister chief an estoille sable

This is landscape heraldry, and must therefore be returned. According to the precedents of
Bruce,
"mountains, as variants of mounts, should be emblazoned to occupy no more than the lower
portion of the
field." (Barony of Blackstone Mountain, September 1993, p.10). There is also no evidence that
charges other
than animals' heads can be erased; without such evidence, this would also have to be
returned.

Additionally, the estoille is not recognizable as such, and needs to be redrawn.

Both <Hywel> and <Llywelyn> are found in Tangwystyl's CA #66, A
Welsh Miscellany (30).
Llywelyn is found in ibid (31). The client cares most about having a Celtic name
("name must remain
Celtic") and is interested in having an authentic 750-800 AD Welsh name. He will NOT allow
MAJOR
changes.

We were unable to find evidence that <Llywelyn> was used in the client's desired
period; the earliest
date cite we found was of the 12th century prince. Various Latin forms of
<Hywel> are found in Tangwystyl's
"The First Thousand Years of British Names" (
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/british1000/),
including <Hiuel>, <Hiugel>, <Houel>, <Huwel>, <Higuel>,
<HOUELT>, and <Houil>. However, since the
client doesn't allow major changes, and since we can't find an appropriate form of his patronym,
we are
reluctant to change the given name to a more authentic spelling.

{To Polaris & crew: There are two ways of doing semy; it can either be "cut from cloth"
in which
the charges on the field obscure the semied charges, or it can be drawn so that there are no partial
strewn
charges. Either way is acceptable. In this case, the client has gone for cut from cloth.}

7) Nezhka Kiriena Petrova - New name

<Nezkha> is dated to the 12th century in Predslava Vydrina's "Russian Personal
Names"
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/
predslava/bbl/). <Kiriena> is dated to the 3rd century as the name of a
martyr in Paul's "Dictionary of Russian Names" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/paul). <Petrova> is
also found
in Paul's dictionary, dated to 1612. The client cares most about having a Russian name and would
like an
authentic 12th century Novgorodian name. She will NOT accept a MAJOR names.

12th century Novgorodians did not use double given names, but since she does not allow
major
changes, we cannot drop one of the given names. However, the name is registerable as a 16th
century
Moscovite name where the existence of double given names is recorded (see the Grammar section
of Paul's
dictionary).

8) Rhieinwylydd verch Einion Llanaelhaearn - New
name {and device.

Argent vetu, a lion's head caboshed sable}

<Rheinwylydd> is found in Bartram, Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts as a
standardized form of
Rieingulid, which is found on p. 27 and dated to c1140. An <Einion Yrth> died in 420
according to
Gruffudd, and he also lists three people named <Einion> from c.980, 1202-23, and c.1320.
<Llanaelhaearn>
is a placename, according to Richards, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units:
Medieval and Modern
p. 27. The client cares most about having a Welsh name and would like the name to be
authentic.

{The device conflicts with the badge of the Kingdom of An Tir (reg 10/82), "Checky Or and
argent,
a lion's head caboshed sable and crowned gules," with Lenore of Lynxhaven (reg 6/73), "Or, a
lynx's head
cabossed sable orbed Or," and with Taras Stefan Karanczay (reg 5/90), "Sable, a domestic cat's
face sable
chased Or eyed gules," with only one CD for the field for each. It does not conflict with Anebairn
MacPharlaine of Arrochar (reg 5/80), "Per pale azure and argent, a lion's head erased sable."
There is one
CD for the field, and another for erased vs. cabossed.}

9) Roaring Wastes, Barony of the - New augmentation of
device.

Vert, a chalice within a laurel wreath between three suns Or, for augmentation in chief
three annulets
interlaced one and two.

<Ya Jaleel> is found in Mustapha's list of "The One Hundred Most Beautiful Names of
God"
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/
names/mustapha/cnamesofgod.html). However, it is not a given name, and so <bint
Jaleel> is incorrect grammar. A man could be known as <'abd al-Jaleel> "servant of Ya
Jaleel", in which
case his daughter would be <bint 'abd al-Jaleel>.

The client cares most about having an Arabic name and wants an authentic "Arabian" name.
She
will NOT accept MAJOR changes. The addition of <'abd al-> changes both the sound,
spelling, and meaning
of the name, and these are too great of changes to be considered minor. We must therefore return
the name.

The device is being returned because the name is being returned. It has no other
problems.}

10) Tamsyn Seamarke - Appeal of name return and device
resubmission

Per pale azure and Or, a seahorse bendwise counterchanged

The client's name was returned by Rouge Scarpe 4/00 for a lack of documentation for the
given
name. The client is appealing the return.

<Tamsyn> is found in Names for the Cornish (32) and was popular until
the 18th century. The
dreaded Hanks and Hodges claim it was common throughout the Middle Ages. <Tamsin>
is also found in
Dunkling, Scottish Christian Names s.n. Thomas, with no dates.

Talan Gwynek writes: "Whether the specific form <Tamsyn> was used in the Middle
Ages is another
matter; I suspect that it was not, though I also suspect that it was used late in period. I have
never actually
seen the specific form <Tamsyn> in a period document, but I don't think that it's out of the
question in the
16th c." Bardsley s.n. Tamplin has <Tamson> dated to 1573 and 1574, <Tomasyn>
s.n. Inkley dated to 1557,
and <Tomasin> dated to 1574 and 1597. A wide variety of variant spellings are also dated
to the 16th
century.

<Seamarke>, in this spelling, is dated to 1625 in Reaney & Wilson, s.n.
Seamark.

The client cares most about language.

The Midrealm College of Arms has collectively no opinion on this appeal.

11) Tófa Asgeirsdóttir - Device change

Per fess argent ermined gules and argent ermined azure, on a fess cotised sable a
threaded needle between
two spiders argent

Name reg 12/91

There was some question of the identifiability of the needle on the mini, but on the large
emblazon
it stands out fairly well. We're also unsure about the legality of two different colored semied
charges, but we
couldn't find any precedent against it, so we're sending this on for further comment.

If this device is registered, the client's previous device, (reg 9/95 via the Middle), "Argent
ermined
gules, a fox's mask azure and on a chief invected sable three spiders argent," should be
released.

{This does not conflict with Bedwyr Danwyn (reg 5/97), "Argent, on a fess cotised sable,
three
plates." There is one CD for the field, and one for the changes to the tertiary charges. It does not
conflict
with the Kingdom of Meridies (reg 10/99) "Argent, a fess sable, a crown of three points between
two mullets
argent," with one CD for the field, one for the cotising, and one for the changes to the
tertiaries.}

Disclaimer: This page is not officially sanctioned by the SCA,
Inc., the Middle Kingdom, or the MK College of Heralds. It is a private
project of the Escutcheon Herald (Paul Wickenden of Thanet) who
has based the information published here on publicly-available
documentation.